Fruit picker



Nov. 1, 193.8. P. R. SAMMONS FRUIT PICKER Filed Jan. 15, 1938 Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT orti-cr:

half to Freeman R.

Ratcli, Mission, Tex.y

Application January 13, 1938, Serial No. 184,894

2 Claims.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in fruit picking devices and relates particularly to that type of fruit picking device which embodies an elongated handle portion or pole upon the upper end of which a severing device is mounted, the pole carrying a iiexible fruit receiving tube contiguous to the severing device whereby the fruit may be guided when severed into a collecting receptacle or the like without bruising or otherwise injuring the fruit.

The invention has for its primary object a simple, durable and efcient device of this character embodying novel severing means which will eiectively serve to cut or separate the stems of the fruit being picked, avoiding the necessity of pulling or jerking the fruit from the tree and effectively co-acting with the flexible fruit receiving guiding tube in gathering the fruit without liability of injuring the same.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a detailed side elevation partly broken away of a picker constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical'section, partly in detail, of the device in closed position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the device.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I0 designates generally a handle which may be of suitable length and which is provided at its upper end with a picking means comprising a ring II, provided with a pair of parallel arms I2, which are pivotally secured by means of a pivot I3 to a pair of ears 25, which are formed on the lower ends of a pair of parallel arms 26, carried by a stationary ring 2|. The arms 26 are flXedly secured to a ferrule I4 which is slipped upon and secured to the upper end of the handle I0.

The arms I2 of the ring member are connected together at their upper ends by means of a connecting bar I5 and a pair of arcuate transversely extending bars I6 are secured at their ends to the ring member I I, thereby providing an open swingable basket structure. A laterally extending or outstanding arm I'I is fixed to at least one arm I2 of the swingable basket structure and an elongated link or rod I8 is slidable through a plurality of guide eyes 21 secured to the handle I9. The lower end of the link or rod I8 is secured to a rock lever or operating member I9, which is pivotally mounted, as at 20, on the handle Illadjacent the lower end thereof. y

The stationary ring member 2| is unobstructed and entirely open and has secured thereto one end of a flexible fruit guiding tube 22, which is adapted to extend downwardly and is provided with a lower free end which may be connected to or 10 associated with a collecting means in the form of a sack or the like which may be supported by the person operating this picking device. Manifestly the ring 2| forms a rigid support for the entrance or upper end of the guiding tube 22 to hold the 15 mouth of the latter distended for the proper reception of the fruit as it is severed.

A spring 23 engages about the pivot I3 and normally urges the ring member to a closed position, as indicated in Figure 2. 'I'he spring 23 con- 20 tacts with the arm |'I and normally raises this arm with the basket structure to an uppermost or closed position. A stationary or xed cutter 24 is carried by the stationary ring 2| and a movable blade or cutter 28 is secured to a segment 29 25 formed on the ring II and is adapted to engage with the stationary cutter 24 so as to cut the stems of the fruit. The blade 28 engages a pair of pins 30 carried by the segment plate 29 and a bolt 3| extends through the center of the blade 28 and 30 passes through the plate 29 so as to detachably hold the movable blade 28 on the swingable ring II.

In the use and operation of this picking device, the operating lever I9 is pulled downwardly 35 against the tension of the spring 23, so as to hold the basket forming the ring I| and the arcuate bars I6 in a position substantially at right angles to the length of the handle I0, as shown in Figure 1. The fruit may be positioned partially 40 within the upper end of the tube 22 and the ring 2| whereupon the handle I9 may be released and the spring 23 will then swing the basket structure upwardly. The cutter 28 will then coact with the stationary cutter 24 in severing the stem 45 of the fruit so that the fruit will drop downwardly and then roll down through the tube 22 into a collecting means disposed at the lower end of the tube 22.

By means of this picking device, the operating 50 end of the picker need not be lowered each time an article of fruit has been cut off from the tree, as the fruit will roll or slide downwardly through the flexible tube 22 into the collecting device, preferably carried on the body of the picker. 55

l0 f 3 It is,fof course, understood thatvarious changes and modications may be made in the details of,v YconstructionY and design of'the above specically described embodiment Vof this invention WithoutA This device is capable of being constructed of departing fromthe spiritV thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims. Y; Y

VVhatIclaim iszf 1. A fruit picker of thercharacter described, comprising an elongated handle, a ferrule mounted onthe upper end of the handle, a stationary i ring carriedbyrthe ferrule and projecting longitudinally therefrom, a movable ring Vpivotally mounted upon the Yferrule vand provided with transversely extending bars, an arm connected tothe movable ring', a link rod connected t0 said arm and having a guiding connection With'the handle, the movable ring being provided with fruit engaging means, a blade .carried by the movable ring, and a relatively stationary blade carried by the stationary ring and co-acting with the rst named blade, as and for the purpose set Y forth.

2. A fruit pickerV of the character described,

comprising an elongated handle, a ferrule mounted on one end of said handle, a relatively station# ary ring carried by the ferrule and projecting longitudinally therefrom, a Vmovable ring pivV V'otally mounted upon the ferrule vand provided with an upstanding arm, al spring engaging said arm and tending Yto move the movable ring to- Wards the stationary ring, a link rod connected to said arm and having a guiding connection with Y the handle, said movable ring being provided with transversely extending arcuate bars and with a segment plate, a blade secured to said segment plate, and a relatively stationary blade carried by the stationary ring Vand co-acting Vwith the first named blade, as and for the purpose set.

forth. i i

PAUL R. SAMMONS. 

